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A Glossary of Marijuana Terms

The world of marijuana is filled with so much technical terminology and cultural lingo—if you’re new to this world, it can be difficult to make sense of it all.

Fortunately, the folks at District 8 are here to help. Here’s a glossary of some of the most common marijuana terms to help you have a better understand of weed language and culture.

BHO

BHO stands for butane hash oil, a concentrated form of THC and cannabinoids that comes in a waxy form and gets you really, really, really high. BHO comes in many forms, like wax, dabs, and shatter. It’s a good time, but smoke with caution.

Bong

For the rookies out there, a bong is a glass water pipe that uses water to cool and diffuse weed smoke before it enters your lungs. It’s just a vase, Mom—I swear.

Blunt

A blunt is marijuana wrapped in a tobacco leaf cigar paper. It burns slow and allows you to roll up a lot of pot, so it’s excellent for larger social gatherings.

Bubbler

As a cross between a bong and a pipe, a bubble is a handheld water pipe with a small chamber of water in the bottom that diffuses smoke. It has all of the positive effects of a bong, but it’s easier to carry, store, and clean.

Budtender

A budtender is your friendly neighborhood marijuana expert behind the counter at your local dispensary, offering recommendations and ideas for how to have the best possible cannabis experience. Tip them well, and use their expertise to your advantage.

Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds in cannabis that react with your body. THC is the most popular cannabinoid, probably because it’s the one that gets you high. Speaking of cannabinoids…

CBD

CBD is perhaps the second most popular of the cannabinoids, and for good reason—it’s medicinal effects help users deal with pain, anxiety, and inflammation without getting the high that comes from THC.

Dabbing

No, not that kind of dabbing. In terms of the weed world, dabbing refers to the act of doing a dab, where you burn a BHO wax on a red-hot surface and inhale it through a pipe or bong. To use it in a sentence: “Hey man, dabbing isn’t my thing. It just gets me way too high.”

Dispensary

Unlike that creepy kid’s house down the block, a dispensary is a store where you can legally buy marijuana products.

Edibles

Edibles are marijuana in an edible form—great for those who want the effects of marijuana without inhaling hot plant matter. Don’t eat too many edibles… we beg you.

Hash

Short for hashish, hash removes trichomes from the actual marijuana plant for a more concentrated THC experience.

Indica

Indica is a common term for cannabis indica, a type of marijuana plant that originated in the Middle East and Asia. Kush and Afghan are famous indica strains. Indica strains are more sedative and relaxing than giggly and energizing—they’re famous for giving you the munchies and making you fall asleep on your couch at 6 p.m.

Joint

A joint is a marijuana cigarette—perhaps the most popular way to smoke.

Kief

Kief is a collection of trichomes that often fall off the marijuana buds. Trichomes contain the large majority of the marijuana plant’s cannabinoids, which is why smoking kief is such a potent and intense experience. Many veteran smokers own grinders that have built-in “kief catchers” that store kief as it falls off bud in the grinder—they can press this kief into a hash of sorts, or smoke it straight up.

OG

The origin of “OG” comes from California, as it’s used to describe SoCal’s most popular strain, OG Kush (Ocean Grown Kush). OG also stands for “Original Gangsta,” a term that denotes something that is old, but good.

Pre-Roll

A “pre-roll” is a marijuana joint or blunt that’s been pre-rolled by a machine or professional roller (yes, this is a real job). While some people are masters of rolling up the dank kush, there’s something great about purchasing a pre-rolled joint that’s ready to smoke right when you get home.

Sativa

Sativa, or cannabis sativa, originates from the Middle East, Asia, and South America. These plants grow much taller than indica plants (they’re usually over five or six feet), and they’re well-known for their cerebral, energizing, and giggly effects.

Strains

Strains are all the different varieties of marijuana, all of which have unique effects on the brain and the body. There are just short of 800 different marijuana strains across the world. Try them all, and you’d be a world traveler and a marijuana connoisseur!

Vaporizer

A vaporizer is a marijuana consumption device that uses heat to extract cannabinoids to inhale in a safe and tasty vapor. Since you’re not actually inhaling plant matter, a vaporizer, or vape, is one of the healthiest ways to consume marijuana products.